Monday, February 10, 2014

La Margherita, Croydon

Despite living in Croydon for the past 15 years, I can't say I've dined at a single restaurant in my home town. Yes, yes, poor form, Sherrie! But I can now say I have :D After my disappointing Italian meal at Janus, I was craving a good one to replace my unsatisfied experience. Venturing down to a local restaurant with my brother and sister for dinner, I was hoping to replace my poor experience with a good one! When we arrived at 6:30, the waitress mentioned that all the indoor tables were booked out (a sign of it's popularity with the locals), but the outdoor tables were free which we did not mind sitting at. The fresh air was welcome on this warm summer's day.

Calamari fritti, $17.00

I looove deep-fried calamari! But sometimes it can be quite overcooked, chewy and rubbery. Fortunately, this was not the case! The calamari was cooked beautifully and was so very tender. Dip it into their very own homemade mayonnaise and we were on a very good start to our meal.

Gnocchi 4 Formaggi, $20.00

The last time I had amazing gnocchi would have had to be in Melbourne but I couldn't resist the lure of homemade potato dumplings on the menu. And this did not let me down one bit. With four types of cheeses (gorgonzola, smoked provolone, parmesan AND mozzarella), the sauce was wonderfully salty and the hint of saffron really elevated it just that little more. And the gnocchi... The gnocchi! So soft like little pillows. When I mentioned that I loved pepper, the waitress sure did not skimp out on dousing our dish with it. Look at all those flakes of freshly cracked pepper!

Carne pizze rosse, $21.00

There have been some pretty good reviews about the pizza served here being a hidden suburban gem so I was very excited to see if it matched the hype. And this has got to be one of the better pizzas I've had in Sydney for a while. The base was thin with a puffy edge and was topped with tomato, mozzarella, mild salami, smoked ham, Italian sausage and caramelised onion. With so many meats, how could it be anything but tasty?

As I went to pay for the bill, I noticed a lot of locals coming to pick up pizzas to takeaway. It may not be the cheapest of places for its serving size, but what they do offer is quality with both food and service. And with it so close to home, I will sure to be back for another visit :)

Sherrie Huang

TWENTY ONE years young. I live, love and study architecture in the city of Sydney. I love to dream, wander, laze and adore chocolate to the brink of addiction. I am a shoeholic who has a tendency to buy more than I actually wear.This is just a place to gather and post my favourite things and to record the lovely moments in my life so I can smile about them one day. Thanks for stopping by ♥